CES 2016 Best Drones: Phantom 3 4K, Typhoon H, Parrot DISCO And More

We check out some of the best drones to debut at CES 2016 such as favorite DJI's Phantom 3 4K, as well as this year’s winner of the CES 2016 Innovation Award - Lily Camera drone.
( DJI )

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Even as concerns surrounding UAVs gather momentum, drones have been one of the most-awaited launches at this year's CES.

We check out some of the best drones to debut at CES 2016.

Phantom 3 4K

DJI unveiled its Phantom 3 4K drone to beef up its Phantom line-up of UAVs at the CES 2016. The new model is basically a 4K Wi-Fi model of the popular Phantom 3 drone.

Weighing 1280gms, the Phantom 3 4K relies on Wi-Fi and not the Lightbridge video downlink system. While this means that the live feed will be of a lower quality and will have reduced range, the 4K camera is a welcome change as previously only the Phantom 3 Professional could boast the same.

The drone packs in Intel's RealSense technology which means that it will be able to avoid collisions. The Typhoon H also has a 4K CGO3+ camera and is able to capture 12MP images thanks to the 360-degree gimbal camera

"The Typhoon H adds new flight and image capture modes including Point of Interest, Orbit, Curved Cable and Journey. Innovative new safety features include ultrasonic proximity detection to assist in avoiding large obstacles, and a failsafe system which allows Typhoon H to remain stable and land if a motor should fail," says Yuneec.

Launching the DISCO into the air is pretty simple as well - turn it on and throw it into the air! The UAV starts flying on its own automatically once a user has launched it into the air. Landing it is no trouble either, as the in-built ground sensors detect the land, and ground the plane with ease.

One need not have any prior experience with drones if flying the 700gm DISCO as it has an autopilot mode.

Capable of reaching speeds of up to 50mph and flying for 45 minutes, the DISCO also has a 1080p camera which is mounted on its nose and can take 14MP stills.

DISCO will be released in 2016 but the time window is not known. The pricing of the drone is not known as well.

Lily Camera Drone

The list would be incomplete without this year's winner of the CES 2016 Innovation Award being included. Lily Robotics' Lily Camera drone which weighs 2.8 pounds and despite its diminutive size, packs in quite a punch.

The Lily Camera drone is basically a solid camera which can film and trace you when on the move. A "throw-and-shoot camera" that is waterproof and capable of recording 1080p at 60fps and 12 megapixels stills, Lily Camera is easy to operate.

"Easy as 1, 2, 3. No setup required. Just throw Lily in the air to start a new video.

The wrist controller allows one to set the drone up to lead, circle, follow, go up etc. so that one can take shots from the best possible angle. The best bit is Lily Camera does all the hard work and not you!

It is priced at $799 and can be pre-ordered online. Shipments start in February.